The drive for a skills based curriculum is more and more prevalent. How to deliver such curriculum remains a challenge for a number of schools.
The key to success is not logistics.
Two main structures support such drive. In one structure, the skill based curriculum is about mapping where the fundamental skills are delivered. It is a hidden skill based curriculum. This is the way to deliver the least changes in the 'traditional' curriculum. The key to success here is always whether this brand of curriculum is driven by the teachers (Cross-curriculum work anyone?) or by a manager in his/ her office. You can guess which one is more successful.
The other more honest structure represents the traditional 'circle within a circle approach'. The Welsh Bac and International Bac both use this structure to explain their curriculum. Put the core skills in the middle, surround them by the curriculum and you are done. It will work with the IB because they make sure it will. It will work with the Welsh Bac as it is integrated in the assessment structure.
It does not always work when this circle is mirrored elsewhere. The key to success here is always a management issue. Does the management give itself the means to implement their skill based curriculum? When it represents just a fad or a marketing ploy, the skills which are supposedly at the heart of the curriculum are in fact peripheral to it. It is a traditional curriculum with added 'bits'. Whilst the departments (in secondary education) are mostly run as tight ships, the skills area is run by whoever is unlucky enough to be volunteered and delivered by whoever is available. It is a 'left over' approach. Surprisingly this has little impact on results (because it does not really improve any skill).
If you are not in the market for the IB or Welsh Bac, you could do a lot worse than considering the EPQ as a cornerstone of your skill based curriculum post 16. The experience you will gain there will easily be transferable to KS3 and 4 later on. The project approach can be tailored to your curriculum needs and the support it requires can be integrated within the pastoral support. It can easily be the central component of your curriculum around which organise themselves the different curriculum areas. This will easily evolve in line with what your school requires, but at least you start from a solid base.
You get your circle within a circle curriculum and the skills are clearly at the core.
